Up A Lazy River

Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge

The Wallkill River shares with great rivers like the
Nile and the Rhine the peculiarity of northward flow. Beginning at Lake
Mohawk in Sparta it flows just west of Ogdensburg, Franklin and Hamburg
to the New York State border. From there it eventually feeds the Hudson
River near Kingston, NY after a 90 mile trek. It is the nine mile stretch
of Sussex County river wetlands north of Hamburg that has given rise
to the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, which, since 1990, have
been a haven for more than 225 species of birds, a wide variety of fish
and wildlife; and those who love to watch them.

Canada Geese

As a major watershed, wedged between the Appalachian
Valley and Ridge to the west and the Highland Ridge System to the east,
the Wallkill River provides migratory and nesting habitat for waterfowl,
which use the valley as a conduit between eastern Canada and the Atlantic
coast and between the Delaware and Hudson rivers. More than 225 species
of birds, including 21 species of waterfowl, occur on the refuge.

Congress authorized the eventual
purchase, providing funds and willing sellers become available, of
7500 acres of fish and wildlife habitat. 4200 acres are now under management,
partially accessible by two major trails and, of course, the river.

Wood Ducks

The Wood Duck Nature Trail, accessible from Route
565, a few hundred yards beyond the turnoff from Route 23, runs approximately
2 miles on a former railroad bed ending at the river, and offers a
nature photography blind and benches for pause along the way. Another
mile or so up Route 565, a recently renovated farmhouse serves as Park
headquarters, where visitors can find trail maps and more information
about the wildlife that lives in the Refuge.

Liberty Sod Farm

Further north, near the state border and linked with
the Appalachian Trail, the Liberty Loop circles wetland and grassland
for 2 1/2 miles of prime bird and wildlife watching. Hunting is prohibited
in this section, so there is no reason to avoid an autumn walk. With
an agricultural history and network of drainage ditches similar to those
at the Great Meadows of the Pequest, this area is also known for it's
black dirt. No longer farmed, the ditches now teem with insects, frogs,
salamanders, turtles and snakes, all tasty morsels for great blue herons
and snowy egrets that frequent the area. The small mammals that also
feed here attract a population of raptors which includes golden eagles,
bald eagles, peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, American kestrels and
marsh hawks. The trail adopts an old railroad grade leading through the
Pochuck Swamp, thickly forested and dotted with red maples, vibrant in
autumn and home to dozens more species. The adventurous can hike further
along the Appalachian trail.

Park Headquarters

Because it is a wildlife refuge, human access to the
wetlands is restricted, and the best way to see the Wallkill is by canoe.
The river is lazy and your trip is effortless save for a few spots where
you may have to get out haul your boat over a shallow spot or around
a beaver dam. The first of three access points, near the Wood Duck trailhead
on Route 565, provides drop-off and pick-up only. The Bassets Bridge
Canoe and Fishing Access provides a better place to start your trip with
ample parking and an easy walk to the river. A third put-in lies just
east of where Oil City Road crosses the river in New York State. Canoeing
floats you through beautiful floodplain forests, wet meadows, and under
tall rock cliffs, and, if you bring your pole, the river is full of warm
water fish, most notably bass and pickerel. The river flow is sluggish
enough to allow a comfortable paddle along one way of your journey so
you don't have to worry about a second pick-up point.

32 Evans Street, Franklin 07416, 973/827-3481

Private campground community offering affordable vacations that include central water and sewage disposal, boating, hiking,fishing and planned activities throughout the summer for all ages. Located minutes from Mountain Creek and only 55 minutes from New York.

140 Goodale Rd., Newton 07860, 973/300-0395

Pick your own apples through October with wagon rides on weekends; group tours weekdays. Homemade pies and baked goods, cider, local honey, jams, jellies, seasonal fruits and vegetables, flowers, and country decorations. Rt. 80 to 206 N.to Springdale. Left on Rt. 618, right at blinker onto R. 519. 1/2 mile on right.

359 Ridge Road, Newton 07860, 973/579-9657

Wilbur's is the perfect destination on a drive through the New Jersey countryside. British foods and candy, Yankee candles, wind chimes, pet-themed gifts, preserves, much more. Charming location in barn complex between Newton and Blairstown.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF WALLKILL RIVER GOOD FOR CARP FISHING.\r\n
THANK'S

Sandy11 Jul 2008, 07:25

Please let me know when the best time of year is to go "bird"
watching.\r\n\r\nThank you!

Karen10 Jul 2008, 07:54

Where would be the best place to launch a kayak in the Wallkill
River?\r\nThanks!

Julie07 Jul 2008, 03:06

We were on the river this past weekend for our first time. It was
absolutley beautiful. I have one question we noticed some type of bug in
the seaweed on the rocks we don't know what they are. Does anyone at the
refuge know?\r\n(If you spread the seawwed apart they are crawling through
it. They have 6 legs small pinchers in the front and maybe small pinchers
in the back).

Thorne30 Apr 2008, 06:21

I'd like to know about bird watching activities, clubs, etc. in Sussecx
county.\r\nThanks